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After some discussion during its Tuesday, April 17 meeting, Holyoke City Council voted to move forward with a proposal from Hayward Baker Geotechnical Construction to help fix issues at the mini park.

In the proposal, the company will drill holes and use a process called mud jacking to help reinforce and lift sagging areas of the mini park located at the stoplight in Holyoke.

Concrete and slurry will be pumped into 22 different holes, beginning at the bottom and moving toward the surface.

It was noted this fix most likely won’t be permanent but will help save the brick wall that has cracked due to the sinking foundation.

Council member Scott Murray said the council can pay the lesser fee of $8,000-12,000 now to save the wall or come up with around $30,000 for a new wall.

“By doing this, it gives us time to go for more funding, grant money and other donations,” Murray said. He also said the park is one of the first things people see when they drive into town.

City supt. Mark Brown had some resources on numerous projects Hayward Baker has done in the past and noted some of them have been pretty unique.

Hayward Baker was the company a group of Colorado State University engineering students suggested the city go with to fix the issues at the mini park.

City clerk/treasurer Kathy Olofson said the city would qualify to use Conservation Trust money to pay for the project.

Olofson also noted she can try to find some more funding sources and avenues while attending the Rural Philanthropy Days event in June.

Brown said by using this process, it will buy time to continue fund raising and looking for possible grants to fix it right in the future.

David Churchwell asked how much was raised by the Lions Club during a recent pancake supper, and Murray said somewhere between $600-800. He said the club has around $2,500 so far that can possibly be set aside to help contribute to the overall project. By buying time, it also gives them the option to continue raising funds.

With the approval, Brown said the company reasonably will be able to begin within two or three weeks.